Easel and artist&#39;s cabinet.



Patehted July 31,1900.

A SABlN-MAODONALD EASEL AND ARTISTS CABINET.

(Application filed June 6, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Model.)

No. 654-,84|. Patented July 3|, 1900..

A. SABlN-MAcDONALD.

EASEL AND ARTISTS CABINET.

(Application filed June 6, 1898.)

(N1 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES I PATENT OFFIGE,

ANNA SABIN-MAODONALD, or HARVEYSBURG, oI-no;

EASEL AND-ARTISTS CABINET. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,841, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed June 6,1898. Serial No. 682,690. (No model.)

nets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved com- 1 bined artists folding cabinet and easel; and it has for its object the production of a device of the character referred to which is so constructed as to be capable of adjustment into many different positions, so as to meet all ordinary requirements as an easel, which is provided with such compartments, holdingracks, and the like that all of the usual materials, apparatus, and accessories required by the artist may be readily accommodated and securely stored in the cabinet, and which is at the same time capable of being readily closed and folded into a convenient portable package, thus rendering the device particularly suitable for fieldwork.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims, and the same will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, showing the same adjusted toit-s most usual working position,or that in which the adjust-able workholder is brought in use and the pigment,

' brush, palette, and other compartments are open to access. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device with the main part of the cabinet open, as in Fig. 1, but with the adjustable work holder collapsed and folded into its holding-compartment and the latter closed, a part of the cover of said latter compartment being broken away to show the manner in which the parts are folded therein. Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the adjustable clamps by means of which the palettes are secured within their compartment. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1 and looking toward the rear. Fig. 5

is a perspective View of the device adjusted so as to bring the work-'holdin g compartments uppermost and showing the cover of the latter dropped down soas-to form a table or desk. .Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the device folded and secured in portable form.

Fig. is a detail of the adjustable card or picture holding device secured in one side of the work-holding' compartment. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 2', showing particularly the pivot-plate which forms the connection between the legs and body of thecabinet.

Referring to said drawings, A designates as a whole the body of the cabinet, consisting in the present instance of a rectangular relatively-shallowbox, which is desirably divided intermediate of its depth by a partition a (see Fig. 4) to form two sets of compartments opening at opposite sides of the box, the opposite side walls of the box being made in the form of hinged doors, as a a a and a a respectively, which serve to close the several compartments, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

B B designate pairs of legs pivotally connected with the cabinet-body at points transversely opposite each other and a short distance from one end thereof, the pivotal connection being desirably formed by means of plates b, with which the two legs of each pair are pivotally connected side by side and which plate is in turn pivotally connected with the body of the cabinet by means of pivot-studs formed or secured thereon and arranged to engage bearing-blocks l), secured to the sides of the cabinet. Means are pro vided for holding the pairs of legs rigid with each other and suitably divergent and at the same time affording supports to hold the cabinet in either one of its working positions,

preferably, as shown in the present instance, by means of supporting-arms 13*, which are each pivotally attached at one end, as at 12 to one of the legs of the pair and arranged to extend when in operative position obliquely upward across the opposite leg. At the point where each arm crosses the opposite leg of the pair it is provided in'itsunder side with a notch 19?, adapted for engagement with-a turn-button 6 mounted upon said leg in such manner a'sto hold the legs againstfurther separation by the weight of the cabinet restin g thereon. When inthis position, the free ends of the arms project some distance be yond the points where they cross the legs B, and they are adapted when the cabinet is arranged in the approximately. horizontal position indicated in Fig. l to engage with downwardly-opening hooks a, secured upon the sides of the cabinet in such manner as to support the forward end of the latter. In

ends of the arms serving to hold the same firmly. With the arms arranged to extend across the legs B and locked in position, asv

hereinbefore described, the cabinet maybe reversed, so as to bring the same into the po-c sition shown in Fig. 5, without changing the 1 position of the legsor holding the arms, this being accomplished by simply lifting the front end of the cabinet and carrying it over upon its pivotal axis. In order to hold the cabinet in this latter position, the arms B are provided in their upper edges with notches b", which engage with the endof the cabinet, as indicated clearly in Fig. 5, and it is to be noted in this connection that the operator can adjust the cabinet-easel to eitherof these positions without leaving his seat in case he be-seated before the easel.

In order to prevent the legs B, which carry thegsmaller part of the weight of the cabinet, from slipping, spurs b areprovided upon the foot of each leg, which spurs are mounted to slide in guides upon the legs and are adapted to be retracted when arranging the device in portable form. In order to provide suitable carrying-bars by which the cabinet may be carried and at the same time to lend additional rigidity to the device, cross-bars b b are arranged to extend between the ends of the legs B and B, respectively. When arranged in portable form, the pairs of legs B B are folded together, the supporting arms B arranged to extend parallel thereto, and the legs and arms thus brought together swung upwardly, so as toextend along the sides of the cabinet, as indicated in Fig. 6, the parts being then looked inthis position by means of 'slidin g catches of, mounted upon the front end of the cabinet and provided with forked ends which are adapted to embrace the legs and hold them the cabinet and the other upon a bracket or block upon the side wall adjacent to the end wall in such position that the side walls of the compartment may assist in holding the arms upright when adjusted to the position shownin Fig. 1. Each of the arms 0 consists of two members 0 0", having telescopic connection with each other, so as to be capable of extension and conveniently held in adjusted relation to each other by means of pins 0?, inserted through the overlapping parts. At its upper end each arm is provided with a detachable bracket-arm 0 arranged to extend horizontally forward, so asto overhang the cabinet, and provided in its under side with a series of notches 0 adapted to receive the upper edge of a stretcher or the like to hold the latter in upright position, the open lid a, of the compartment a forming a support for the lower end of the stretcher, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In order that the stretcher may be adjusted to any desired inand arranged to extend obliquely upward and engagewith their hooked upper ends supports 0 at points intermediate the height of the latter,,the'pivotal connection being such as to permit the rods to be disengaged and folded down into the compartment, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2. The supports O are also adapted to be folded down into the compartment when the overhanging arms are removed and the parts 0v 0 telescoped to gether, as indicated in Fig. 2, audit is to be noted in this connectionthat' when it is desired to 'use said supports to support a stretcher or the like which is of less height than the lowest height to which the overhanging arms may be adjusted the latter may be removed and the upper ends of the arms 0 brought together, as indicated in dotted lines in 4,,in which positionthe stretchermay be suitably supported by arranging it"to loan at its upper edge against said supports.

-Next describing the set of compartments intended to hold the. pigments, br'ushes,'and the like, it is obvious that it is not essential that any specific arrangement of these compartments be adopted; but a preferred arrangement is that shown herein, in which a a a, (r designate a series of longitudinally-extending parallel partitions which serve to divide the front portion of the cabinet into a series of long narrow compartments a a a. a," and a single larger compartment (W. The latter compartment is adapted to receive the palettes and is to this end provided at one side with an adjustable clamping-button D, (see detail Fig. 3,) whereby thepale'ttes may be locked within the compartment or tray. Desirably one. or more of the narrow compartments, as a, will be provided with an inner cover, as d such com partment and the adjoining similar one being well adapted to contain brushes. Desirablyalso the other narrow compartments (1 a are subdivided by cross-partitions into a plurality of smaller compartments, and in order to provide a suitable tray'or holder for color-tubes one or more, of these smaller com- Ail.-

partments will be provided with a horizontal partition or false bottom (0 provided with a series of apertures 11 of suitable size to ac- I commodate such tubes and hold them in upright position.

The covers or doors a a of the cabinet are made to serve as leaves to afford additional workingmoom when the cabinet is open, and to this end sliding supports or rods E are mounted in suitable bearings e and bearing apertures c, formed in the several partitions and side walls of the cabinet in position to permit said supports to be projected horizontally out beneath the covers.

they are each provided with annular recesses 6 which are yieldingly engaged by the ends of wire springs 6 suitably mounted upon the walls of the cabinet, the form of said annular recesses being such as to afford a frictional hold only for the springs, so that said rods may be pulled out or pushed in, as the case may be. In order to afford suitable holds for rawing out the rods, the ends of the latter are each provided with a ring 6 As an additional feature of improvement I cover or partially cover the inner face of one of said covers, as a, with a piece of chamoisskin a, which is removably secured thereto, the purpose of this being to afford stipple surface upon which the brushes may be worked to properly distribute the pigment. I consider this a feature of someimportance, inasmuch as I have found that the chamoisskin-covered surface is particularly efficient for this purpose, and the chamois being de-' of the cabinet, said compartments being closed by the hinged covers or doors a a respectively, hereinbefore referred to.

F designates a sheet of heavy cardboard or analogous material hinged at one end, as at f, within the compartment a and provided with one or more slots f f adapted to serve as holding devices, within which sketches, small cards, and the like may be inserted, the resilience of the cardboard serving'to hold such articles fast by frictional engagement. In order to hold the free end of the holder F within the compartment, a turn-button f is provided upon the bottom wall of the compartment adjacent to the holder in position to overlie the latter.

G designates a removable sheet-separating device and holder mounted to slide in suitable guides 9 upon one of the side walls of the compartment a at a point about midway of the In order to hold the supporting-rods in adjusted position,

length of the latter, and G designates a second sheet-separating device permanently secured to the opposite side wall of the compartment, consisting in the present instance of a strip provided with a series of longitudinally -.extending parallel grooves g, corresponding in distance apart to the distance apart in the notches q of the sheet-separating device G. In arranging moist or other stretchers or cards within the compartment the operator will remove the sheet-separating device G, and after adjusting one edge of each of the cards to be stored within one of the grooves of the holder G he will next assemble the opposite edges in the corresponding notches in the holder G and then slide the latter into its place between the guides, the several sheets or stretcher-s being thus held securely and entirely free from contact with each other.

In case it be desired to use the cabinet as an easel without opening either of the larger compartments of either side it may be adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 5, permittin g the cover a however, to be left closed, and when in this position the cover (t opened and resting upon the arms B and provided with the ribs e will serve as a support for the lower edge of the drawing, while its upper edge may rest against the inclined front of the cabinet. The compartment a may be used for any desired purposeas,for instance, as a lunch-box or the like.

While I have herein described a practical and preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it will be obvious that the details thereof may be modified to some extent without departing from the spirit of the invention and without involving more than mechanical skill. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown except as made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. A combined artists folding cabinet and easel, comprising a rectangular cabinet-body opening at opposite sides thereof, two pairs of legs pivotally attached at opposite sides of' the cabinet-body in such manner as to be capable of'being flexed into alinement with the main plane of the cabinet-body, means for holding said legs fixed in divergent relation to each other, folding supporting-arms adapt ed to support the cabinet-body rigidly upon said legs and means for securing the legs in folded position in the same plane with the cabinet-body. V

2. A combined artists folding cabinet and easel, comprising a rectangular cabinet-body of relatively-fiat form or shallow depth, provided with two sets of compartments opening at opposite sides thereof, two pairs of legs pivotally connected with the opposite sides of the body at transversely-oppositepoints and near one end thereof, supporting-arms each pivotally connected with one of each pair of legs and adapted to be extended across and be 5 or standards, notched arms carried by each of 'yond'th e opposite ,leg' of the pair to form a:

support for the cabinet-body, means for looking said legs to said supporting-arms at the points of intersection, engaging devices for locking the arms and cabinet-body together to support-the latter in an approximately-horizontal position, engaging devices for locking the arms and cabinet-body together to hold the latter in an upwardly-inclined position,- and means for securing the legs folded together and in the same plane as the body of the cabinet.

' 3; The combination with a cabinet,of a fold- I ing work-support, adapted to be folded Within the cabinet and comprising a pair of supports 4 4 i arm e'aTch 'of saidstandards, andmeans for bold- "ing the standards upright.

5'. The combination with a cabinet-compartment and the cover thereof, of a folding worksupport adapted to fold Within said compartment and comprising a pair of supports pivotally mounted within the compartment, each consisting of a plurality of sections, having adjustable telescopic connection with each other, detachable notched arms carried by each support, brace-rods pivotally mounted in the compartment adapted to be detachably engaged with said supportto hold the latter upright, and holding devices upon the cornpartmen't-cover adapted to cooperate 'with the notched arms, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature hereto, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 6th day of May, A. D. 1898.

ANNA SABIN-MAODONALD. Witnesses:

H. W. SABIN,- B. E. STRQUP. 

